diff --git a/builtin/audit/syslog/backend.go b/builtin/audit/syslog/backend.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5901386d68
--- /dev/null
+++ b/builtin/audit/syslog/backend.go
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+package file
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+
+	"github.com/hashicorp/go-syslog"
+	"github.com/hashicorp/vault/audit"
+	"github.com/hashicorp/vault/logical"
+)
+
+func Factory(conf map[string]string) (audit.Backend, error) {
+	// Get facility or default to AUTH
+	facility, ok := conf["facility"]
+	if !ok {
+		facility = "AUTH"
+	}
+
+	// Get tag or default to 'vault'
+	tag, ok := conf["tag"]
+	if !ok {
+		tag = "vault"
+	}
+
+	// Get the logger
+	logger, err := gsyslog.NewLogger(gsyslog.LOG_INFO, facility, tag)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	b := &Backend{
+		logger: logger,
+	}
+	return b, nil
+}
+
+// Backend is the audit backend for the syslog-based audit store.
+type Backend struct {
+	logger gsyslog.Syslogger
+}
+
+func (b *Backend) LogRequest(auth *logical.Auth, req *logical.Request) error {
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	var format audit.FormatJSON
+	if err := format.FormatRequest(&buf, auth, req); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	_, err := b.logger.Write(buf.Bytes())
+	return err
+}
+
+func (b *Backend) LogResponse(auth *logical.Auth, req *logical.Request,
+	resp *logical.Response, err error) error {
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	var format audit.FormatJSON
+	if err := format.FormatResponse(&buf, auth, req, resp, err); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	_, err = b.logger.Write(buf.Bytes())
+	return err
+}
diff --git a/cli/commands.go b/cli/commands.go
index ca609ce37e..d876241e63 100644
--- a/cli/commands.go
+++ b/cli/commands.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 
 	auditFile "github.com/hashicorp/vault/builtin/audit/file"
+	auditSyslog "github.com/hashicorp/vault/builtin/audit/syslog"
 
 	credAppId "github.com/hashicorp/vault/builtin/credential/app-id"
 	credCert "github.com/hashicorp/vault/builtin/credential/cert"
@@ -49,7 +50,8 @@ func Commands(metaPtr *command.Meta) map[string]cli.CommandFactory {
 			return &command.ServerCommand{
 				Meta: meta,
 				AuditBackends: map[string]audit.Factory{
-					"file": auditFile.Factory,
+					"file":   auditFile.Factory,
+					"syslog": auditSyslog.Factory,
 				},
 				CredentialBackends: map[string]logical.Factory{
 					"cert":     credCert.Factory,